Spinner-type card game apparatus



Feb. 1, 1966 M. w. LAMBERT 3,232,622

SPINNER-TYPE CARD GAME APPARATUS Filed Feb. 26, 1965 Fig./

Fig. 2 60 48 1 l.\ 49, 42 /2 V /i My [/1 Fig. 3 Mall/on M. Lambert 50 50 INVENTOR United States Patent 3,232,622 SPINNER-TYPE CARD GAME APPARATUS Mahlon W. Lambert, Rte. 2, Lakewood Drive, Ludington, Mich.

Filed Feb. 26, 1963, Ser. No. 261,079 4 Claims. (Cl. 273149) The present invention relates to an improved spinnertype card game apparatus which is expressly, but not necessarily, designed and adapted to facilitate the playing, in a novel manner, of a game of cards, for example, poker.

It is within the purview of the concept to use various kinds of playing cards in a deck form and to adopt and follow rules in keeping with the pips, characters and subject matter of the particular deck of cards at hand. However, it is a significant objective to employ regular playing cards that is a conventional deck of 52 cards with a joker or an equivalent card added thereto. In fact and to the end desired the apparatus with which the cards are used constitutes a card handling apparatus, that is, a simple and practical structural device wherein the ready-to-play card hands are dealt, by chance, to the players by way of a rotatable wheel or turntable on which the card-hands are systematically dealt out by the dealer.

With the above background information in mind it will be seen that it is an object in the instant invention to provide a simple, practical and ingenious apparatus which is essentially mechanical and is characterized by a stationary base whichembodies a playing field and which supports a rotatable card-hand holding and dealing wheel which functions in a novel manner to be hereinafter described.

More specifically the base is portable and is designed and adapted to rest atop a table or an equivalent stationary support surface, said base having a planar top surface or face which is circumferentially marked to define individual player designating areas or sectors of a suitably numbered dial-like playing field.

The invention also features a horizontal centralized turntable 'or wheel mounted for rotation atop the dial portion of the base, said wheel being unique in that it is provided .with circumferentially spaced holders or receivers (any suitable number) each of which is designed and adapted to hold the game participants card-hands in a manner and so that the same are dealt out to the players. The wheel is such that it is intended to stop at an area or zone on the dial which has been selected and agreed upon prior to initiating the wheel spinning step.

Further novelty is predicated on the adoption and use of a turnable card-hand dealing wheel which has radial circumferentially spaced ribs or the like defining individual card-hand receivers. These pockets or receivers cooperate with a marginally framed centrally isolated area containing three bonus or draw cards which can be lifted and used by the player, if any, who at the time holds the joker and which cards may be utilized in his hand or discarded as the case may be.

Then, too, novelty is predicated on the construction and arrangement herein shown and above generally comprehended and wherein the base is of hollow box-like form and provides a housing for a suspended electric motor which is geared or otherwise connected to the hub portion of the rotatable card deck holding card-hand selector wheel, the motor being controlled by a switch button These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of' construction'and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanyinng drawing forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a power operated switch button controlled spinner type card game apparatus embodying the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a View in section and elevation taken approximately on the plane of the central section line 22 of FIGURE 1, looking in the direction of the indicating arrows; and

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary detailed section taken on the plane of the section line 3-3 of FIGURE 1.

The apparatus is preferably portable. The base is denoted by the numeral 6 and is fashioned from appropriate rigid lightweight sheet material and could, more likely than not, be molded from plastic or equivalent moldable material and is attractively colored and decorated. The embodiment illustrated is of hollow rectangular box-like form and comprises a horizontal top wall 8 marginally encompassed or surrounded by depending rim-walls 10 which, conjointly considered, provides a satisfactory depending rim or skirt. At suitable places the skirt is provided with turned-in lugs, ears or the like 12 having pads 14 on the bottom sides and defining appropriately cushioned supporting feet. The exposed top side or surface denoted generally at 16 in FIG. 1 is planar and so marked or diagrammatically laid out that it defines a dial. More specifically this dial provides a playing field and embodies radial circumferentially spaced lines or the like 18 designating individual sectors 20 each identified by a distinct number (1-10) by the numerals 22. Complcmental to the dial is the aforementioned horizontal rotatable card deck and card hand holding and dealing wheel 24. This comprises a disk which is generally fiat and is disposed in close spaced parallelism with the central portion of the dial surface of the base. This wheel is provided on its readily available top surface with radial circumferentially spaced ribs or dividers 26 which define equidistant circumferentially spaced shallow pockets or receivers each of a corresponding plan dimension and each denoted by the numeral 28. The inner converging portions of the ribs join with a substantially rectangular upstanding complemental rib 30 which defines a marginally delineated central pocket or receiver 32, The overall wheel thus constructed functions to accommodatingly support a regulation deck of playing cards, that is the usua1 52 cards and, by preference, 53 including As is clear the base-equipped dial tionary part when the apparatus is being used. On the other hand, the turntable or wheel atop the same is rotatable and can be turned in either a clockwise or a counterclockwise direction. While this wheel may be so mounted that it could be turned or spun by hand it is presently contemplated that it is to be power operated. To this end the central hub portion 34 is provided in its underside with a socket which is non-circular in cross-section to accommodate an upper flat-faced or non-circular end 36 of a driven shaft 38. The shaft is vertically disposed and turned or driven by an appropriate electric motor 40 which is bolted as at 42 to lugs 44 on the underneath the joker (not illustrated);

16 is a relatively staside of the top, said motor being positioned in the manner illustrated by spacing sleeves 46. The meshing gear 48 and pinion 5% function to drive or turn the wheel at a relatively slow rate to prevent the cards from being accidentally displaced from the peripheral edge of the wheel by centrifugal force. An appropriate switch including a button is provided as denoted generally at 52 and the switch is connected by an electric conductor 54 with the motor so that it may be depressed to turn the motor on and rotate the Wheel or released to stop the motor and to check the rotation of the wheel. In actual practice it may be'necessary or perhaps desirable to employ a brake (not shown) and means to prevent retrograde turning of the wheel. However, these are refinements which need not be herein dwelled upon.

It will be evident that the wheel 24 is divided by ribs or the like 26 into sector-shaped pockets which are open out the outer marginal edge as at 56 and which if desired may be dimensioned to register with the given dimensions of the sectors or areas 20. The so-called extra or free leftover draw cards from the regular deck are denoted at 58 and they are placed in the draw pocket or receiver 32. There are ten receivers and five cards each are placed by the dealer in each receiver and the five cards considered as a group constitute the customary five-card hand or as here designated, each players card-hand 6i).

It is understood that, generally speaking, the game apparatus herein disclosed employs a regular deck of cards. With this game from two to ten persons may play. The one player holding the joker or any other predetermined or established card will have a better chance to build up his hand in that he will be entitled to utilize the draw cards 58 to replace any bad cards that he may have in his five-card hand.

' In operation the dealer first shuffles and then deals out all of the cards evenly and places each hand 60 in its given pocket or receiver 28. This gives each participant a potential five-card hand which can be withdrawn from one of the ten compartments or pockets contingent on the stopping place of the wheel. It is then necessary for each player to select a number ranging from .1 to 10, that is one of the aforementioned numbers 22. The players each have a turn to spin the Wheel and this is done by operating the switch button to energize the motor and to permit the motor to turn the wheel 24 in an obvious manner. When the wheels stops, the player whose spin it was now selects his card hand from the compartment which coincides with the number (l-l) which he selected and announced. In other words, if the player Aselected the number whatever hand of cards is dealt by the turn of the wheel to that space is the players card hand. The player with the joker in his hand can take the cards 58 from the pocket 32. After he has checked his hand he discards three cards. If no player gets the joker in his hand the overall play goes on just the same. If ten were playing and no one had the joker it would be. generally suspected that it is then in the three leftover or bonus cards 58.

As already suggested any number of card games could be arranged by making up a set of rules similar to the rules just explained and with a deck of cards made to order in keeping with the game which is contemplated for manufactured sale and use.

The number of card-hand pockets will vary. In fact, the'number can be regarded as optional as long as a complete deck of cards is distributed. The obvious purpose here is to make the invention cover a more complete set of games. To this end and using poker as the game the turnable wheel instead of having ten pockets or compartments as shown in FIGURE 1 can have eight card compartments, seven of these to function as the already described compartments 60. Then there would be a single card compartment in the center to correspond with the pocket 32. With this arrangement two to seven players could play the game. Using a regular deck of cards with the joker serving the ah'eady described purpose it will be evident that the dealer deals out seven cards for each compartment and the four leftover cards placed in the central compartment. It can be assumed that there are seven players engaged in playing the game. Each one will pick up his hand according to the selection made in the presence of the other players. The wheel is spun as previously described and each player picks up his hand according to the number shown. The player having the joker in his hand then takes. the cards from the center compartment and employs the extra cards at his own discretion. Then each player discards his cards down to the five allowed cards and proceeds with his betting of a regular poker hand. It will be evident that if perchance no player has the joker (or a corresponding prearranged card) in his hand then none of the players are entitled to the cards which are isolated in the central compartment.

It is believed that a careful consideration of the specification in conjunction with the views of the drawing will enable the reader to obtain a clear and comprehensive understanding of the subject matter of the invention, the features and advantages and the mode of using the apparatus. Therefore, a more extended description is regarded as unnecessary.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In combination, a card game apparatus comprising a portable base having a planar top surface, said surface being provided with radial circumfcrentially spaced marker lines transforming the surface into a dial, said dial embodying player designating selectively usable individual zones, each zone being provided with a clearly.

viewable designating number, for example, the number 1, a horizontally disposed planar turntable having an axial hub portion mounted for rotation on an axial portion of said top surface, the outer marginal edge of said turntable being spaced inwardly from the marginal edge portions of said top surface and permitting the aforementioned zones to be readily and at all times viewed by the participants, said turntable having like but circumferentially spaced card holding means atop the same, said means embodying a centrahzed area, bonus cards removably arranged in said central area, and individual card hands made up of regular playing cards and positioned acces-- sibly atop said turntable on respective ones of said card holding means, whereby when the turntable is rotated and permitted to come to a stop, one of the card hands is then matcha-ble with one of the aforementioned zones.

2. The structure defined in claim 1 and in combination, said base being of hollow form and the hollow portion constituting a housing, a motor fixedly supported in the hollow portion of said housing and having operating connection with a hub portion of said turntable and functionhlg to turn the turntable at a relatively slow rateof rotation, and an individual pushbutton operatively connected with said motor and accessible for use by the dealer or anyone of the game participants.

3. A card game apparatus comprising a base of hollow box-like form, the hollow portion of said base constitut ing a housing, said base being designed and adapted to be placed flatwise when in its position of use atop a game or card table or any equivalent stationary support surface in a manner to stay put while in use, said base having an tip-facing top surface charted to provide individual playerdenoting zones, said zones being identifiable and adapted to be chosen in advance of the game being played to individuallyrepresent card hands of competitive players, a

holding and dealing wheel for selectively usable cardhands mounted for rotation atop said base, and power means mounted and confined within the confines of said housing and operatively connected with and serving to rotate said holding and dealing wheel, said wheel having an upper card deck supporting surface, said surface being circumferentially and radially divided into a plurality of equidistant circumferentially spaced card-hand pockets, each pocket being ample to confine a stack of cards providing the usable card hand.

4. The structure defined in claim 3 and wherein said wheel is provided at its central portion with a pocket-like receiver designed and adapted to confine and hold a prescribed number of bonus cards.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Marikle '273142 Stansbury 273-141 Hammond 273149 Savory 273-136 Israel 273148 Potter 273142 Molinar 273-150 X DELBERT B. LOWE, Primary Examiner. 

3. A CARD GAME APPARATUS COMPRISING A BASE OF HOLLOW BOX-LIKE FORM, THE HOLLOW PORTION OF SAID BASE CONSTITUTING A HOUSING, SAID BASE BEING DESIGNED AND ADAPTED TO BE PLACED FLATWISE WHEN IN ITS POSITION OF USE ATOP A GAME OR CARD TABLE OR ANY EQUIVALENT STATIONARY SUPPORT SURFACE IN A MANNER TO STAY PUT WHILE IN USE, SAID BASE HAVING AND UP-FACING TOP SURFACE CHARTED TO PROVIDE INDIVIDUAL PLAYERDENOTING ZONES, SAID ZONES BEING IDENTIFIABLE AND ADAPTED TO BE CHOSEN IN ADVANCE OF THE GAME BEING PLAYED TO INDIVIDUALLY REPRESENT CARD HANDS OF COMPETITIVE PLAYERS, A HOLDING AND DEALING WHEEL FOR SELECTIVELY USABLE CARD HANDS MOUNTED FOR ROTATION ATOP SAID BASE, AND POWER MEANS MOUNTED AND CONFINED WITHIN THE OCNFINES OF SAID HOUSING AND OPERATIVELY CONNECTED WITH AND SERVING TO ROTATE SAID HOLDING AND DEALING WHEEL, SAID WHEEL HAVING AN UPPER CARD DECK SUPPORTING SURFACE, SAID SURFACE BEING CIRCUMFERENTIALLY AND RADIALLY DIVIDED INTO A PLURALITY OF EQUIDISTANT CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED CARD-HAND POCKETS, EACH POCKET BEING AMPLE TO CONFINE A STACK OF CARDS PROVIDING THE USABLE CARD HAND. 